Rocket expert K. Sivan appointed as new chairman of ISRO

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed rocket scientist K. Sivan as next Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of Space Commission and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He will succeed A.S. Kiran Kumar and will have term of three years.

K. Sivan

He is a graduate in aeronautical engineering from Institute of Technology (Madras), ME from Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. He had earned doctorate in aerospace engineering from IIT Bombay. He had joined ISRO in 1982 in then young PSLV project and has been project director of the GSLV rocket. Currently he is Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and was appointed in June 2015.

He also had played key role in developing indigenous Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) MK II and was part of team that ideated on Swadeshi space shuttle (a reusable launch vehicle).

It was Mr Sivan’s expertise that gave ISRO the ability to send 104 satellites in a single mission, setting a world record in February last year. He was the key person who worked on the technicalities of how the satellites would be placed in orbit.

It was his expertise that gave ISRO ability to send 104 satellites in single mission and sett world record in February 2017. He was key person who worked on technicalities of how the satellites would be placed in orbit.